There are two basic faceplate panel contours utilized for rectangular commercial CRT's over about a 9-inch (22.9 cm) diagonal screen size. These basic contours are spherical and cylindrical. It appears that the future trend in CRT design will be toward faceplate panel contours having less-curvature than present CRT's. Along with this decrease in panel curvature is a corresponding decrease in shadow mask curvature. Such decrease in shadow mask curvature increases a problem known as doming. Doming occurs when certain parts of the shadow mask become hotter than other parts and move outwardly from the general contour of the mask.
The present invention provides a novel shadow mask contour for use in CRT's having reduced faceplate curvature which reduces the aforementioned doming problem.